Just a warning, as I'd like to avoid others going through the same experience as me.

I needed a venue for a lunch where my parents would meet my fiance's parents. My future mother-in-law is disabled and can't walk very far, so it was vital to find somewhere with parking.

I chose the Dartmouth Arms; whose website prominently states that they have free parking. My in-laws duly parked in the car park. We read the sign, which states that the parking is free for "registered" customers of the pub. The sign doesn't say how one becomes "registered". I had made a booking - I assumed this would serve to "register" us. Nowhere in the pub or outside is there any sign that explains how someone "registers" for the parking.

I spent nearly £200 on a meal for 6 people. As an aside - the food wasn't nearly as good as we've had previously - has the chef changed?

A couple of weeks later, my in-laws received a parking ticket for £150. My fiance and I called and visited the Dartmouth Arms a number of times over the next few weeks in an attempt to get it sorted out. In their defence, the ticket has now been cancelled (though I'm not sure if this is a result of the pub's actions or my in-laws appealing). However, when I pointed out that the pub should have a sign explaining that the car registration must be given to the bar staff in advance in order to "register", the manager refused point blank to consider this. I do wonder (though I stress I have no concrete evidence for this) if the pub take a cut of the fines, and therefore have an incentive to not be explicit about this.

Anyway, I just thought I would set out my experience, with the intention that others are not caught out!